Bottle closure



' J. E. cHAcE Jan. l, 1929.

BOTTLE GLOSURE 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July '7;v 1927 doi/57707@ @Lace IN VEN TOR.

BY Y

ATTORNEYS Jan. l, 11929.

JE. cHAcE I I BOTTLE CLOSURE F'iled July v, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 a M2372 257575/ idce,

J INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYS J. E. cHAcE BOTTLE CLOSURE `Fan. l, 1929.

Filed July v, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR. c7022?? Eddy (/zac'e.

` ATTORNEYS .Patented Jan. l, 1929.

UNITED LsTfirEs JOHN EDDY GRACE, OF ADAMSDALE, MAwSSACHUSETTS.

BOTTLE CLOSURE.

Application filed July 7,

This invention relates generally to bottle closures, and has more particular reference to improvements in closures of that type commonly used for milk bottles and embodying 'a card board diskadapted to t within the bottle mouth. l

The primary object of the invention is to provide a. simple and durable bottle closure of the above kind embodying a tab which is readily accessible for enabling removal of the closure from the mouth of the bottle with facility, and which is not likely to become torn or entirely detached from the closure disk in the pulling or removing operation.

Another object is to provide a bottle closure construction of the above kind in which the pulling tab is so provided and arranged as to enable ready and firm gripping thereof as well as providing a reliable means forl facilitating removal of the closure disk from the bottle mouth.

A further object is to provide a bottle closure of the above kind which is simple and compact in construction, neat in appearance and capable of production at a nominal co`st.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a milk bottle closureembodying a unit that includes a disk adapted to fit wu'thin the bottle mouth and provided with a pulling tab, and a. cap4 member capable of ready detachment from said unit to expose the pullingV tab of the-latter whereby its subsequent removal from the bott-le mouth may be effected, said cap member being shaped to fit over the mouth of the bottle for excluding the entrance of dirt and ot-her foreign matter.

Still another object is to provide a bottle closure of the character specified in the preceding object wherein the cap member is provided with central and marginal portions disposed in the same horizontal' plane, wherein the cap member has a depending annular flange or vrim to engage' around the external bead of the bottle mouth, and wherein the unit adapted to be fitted into the bottle mouth is provided with a depressed central portion whose 'lower surface is disposed in substantially the same horizontal plane as the lower free edge of the rim of the cap member, thereby enabling a plurality of the closures to be readily placed in superimposed non-resting relation, for ready successive feeding,`

one from under another, from the magazine of a bottle capping machine,as exemplified in my co-pending application, Serial Num- 1927. Serial No. 204,008.

ber 177,147, upon bottle cap, filed March 21, 1927.

Other objects will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, and the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of one 4form of milk bottle closure constructed in accordance with the lpresent invention;

Figure 2 is a section upon line 2 2 of Figure 1, drawn upon an enlarged scale;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section upon line 3 3 of Figure 2, drawn upon a reduced scale;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 of a modified form of the invention;

Figure 5 is an enlarged section on line 5 5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a sectionon line 6 6 of Figure 5, drawn upon a reduced scale;

A"Figure 7 is a top plan view of another modified form of the invention;

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectionl upon line 8 8 of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a top plan view of still another form of the present invention substantially embodying the device of Figure 1 with an attached cap bottle mouth;

Figure 10 is a section on line 10-10 of Figure 9; y

Figure 11 is an enlargedsection'of the device shown in Figure 10 with the cap member detached but shown in operative relation with the unit adapted to fit within the bottle mouth., by dotted lines;

Figure 12 is a viewsimilar to Figure 9 of still another form ofthe invention;

Figure 13 is an enlarged section taken upon line 13 13 of Figure 12;

Figure 14 is a horizontal section on line 14-1-14 of Figure 13, drawn on a reduced sca e;

Figure 15 is a top plany view of a slight modification. of the form of closure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 16 is an enlarged section taken on line 16 16 of Figure 15;

Figure 17 is an edge elevational view of the' closure shown in Figure 15, applied to the mouth of a milk bottle, the free portion of member adapted to fit over the the upper disk being'flexed upwardly,

and a drinking straw being inserted through the bottom disk into the bottle to facilitate drinking of the contents of the latter;

yeach form of the invention illustrated embodies aunit adapted to be forced into and to snugly fit within the mouth of a milk bottle in the .usual well known manner, said unit in the present-'instances being composed of upper and lower disks 5 and .6, respectively, and, except in Figures 7 and 8, an intermediate strip or sheet 7 ,disposed in contiguous relation with each other and permanently united at the centralA portions of the disks. The disks 5 and 6 are preferably of the same diameter, Vand these disks as well as the sheet 7 are preferably formed of relatively stiff tough card-board. While 'the disks 5 and 6 and sheet 7 may be secured together at points other than in the vicinity of the centers of the disks, they are entirelyfree of connection with each other from a line.

adjacent but to one side of the centers of the disks as indicated Vbythe dash line 8, tothe adjacent side or edge portion of the closure or the left hand edgeport-ions thereof as viewed in Figures 1 and 4. In other words, the members 5, 6 and 7 are' free of connection with each other from the' line 8 to theedge portion 9 at least fromithepoint'l() to the point 11, thus leaving the side fportions 12 and 13 of the disk 5 and sheet 7, respectively, freel to flex upwardly away from the lower or mainy closure disk 6. The upper' disk 5 is cut away at its free side so as to provide the same with a straight edge portion 14 parallel with ther line v8, `and integral. with the adjacent edge portion of the sheet member 7 is an ex tension 15 which is folded upwardly around the edge 14`of the upper disk 5 and inwardly onto the adjacent upper surface portion tof the latter, thereby forming a readily acces-I sibleta-b for use in 'facilitating removal of the closure from the bottle mouth.v In o-rder to facilitatenpward bending of the free portion 12 of the upper disk 5' on a line parallel with'the edge 14 when the tab 15 is pulled, the disk 5 is scored or weakened on its under side as at 16 entirely across the disk member 5 on a line parallel with the edge portion 14 as shown more clearlyY in Figures 2 and 3 and 5 and 6. As this weakening line -16 is parallel with and adjacent the line of ,connection'8 between the members 5, 6 and 7, the

.bending of theffree member 12 and 13 upwardly relative to` the disk 6 along the straight line of weakening 16 is insured when .the tab 15 is pulled upwardly. When these i center 'of the closure and in such manner that tearing of the tab fromL the body portion or sheet 7 thereof is rendered highly unlikely,

of the latter.

As'the tab 15 is formed part of a member entirely independent of the disks 5 and 6, the latter are not objectionably weakened as is the case in prior constructions wherein.

the tabs are'staniped from the disks themselves. At the same, time', the parts may be pressed into fiat contiguous relation with the tab 15 normally flatly engaging the upper lsurface of the upperdisk 5 so that a neat appearing compact closure is normallyu had. In the form of the invention shown in Figures l'to 3 inclusive, the disks 5 and 6 and sheet 7 are united by the use of a pair of staples 17 which are disposed in spaced relation and. at opposite sidespfthe centers `of the disks with corresponding legs thereof in a plane intersected by the imaginary line 8.

and 5, the disks 5.and 6 and sheet 7 are joined by adhesive between their contiguous faces, the adhesive being provided throughout these contiguous surfaces from the line 8 to the edgeportions of the members 5, 6 and 7 remote from the free portions 12 and 1.3, the sheet 7 in this instance being also of Asubstantially disk form and of the same diameteil as the disks 5 and 6.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 7 and 8, the closure simply consists of .an upper disk 5a and a lower disk 6a united In the construction shownqin Figures 4 especially in view ofthe stiff tough character in contiguousrelation by staples 17 a provided at opposite4 sides of and near thei centers of the disks, and this leaves a 'portion of the upper disk 5? free as indicated at 12l from the weakening or score line 16a to the adjacent edge portion 9a of the disks. With this construction the intermediate' member* or sheet 7 is eliminated and a'separate tab of the lower disk and capable of readily fleX-' ing upwardly when the tab is pulled upwardly for removal of the closure from the bottle mouth. u

ures.9 to 11 inclusive, theunit of Figurel is attached by means of the staples 17-to the vcentral depressed portion 19 of a cap mem. ber which has a marginal portion 2O and a In the form of the invention shown in Fg-4 central part 21 whose upper surfaces lie in' .the same horizontal plane. The cap member is further provided with a 'depending continuous or annular marginal flange 22 adapted to fit around the external bead of the bottle mouth and to cooperate with the .marginal portion 20 for excluding the enthe lower edge of flange 22, thereby enabling a plurality of t-he closures to be superimposed in non-nesting lrelation within the magazine of a bot-tle capping machine. This will insure against interference ot one bottle cap with another disposed directly7 therebeneath,

whereby the latter bottle cap may be readily fed from the magazine as is clearly ex-' plained in my above mentioned (zo-pending application. Further, the central part 21 is, in t-hislform of the invention, provided by vthe upwardly pressed central portion of a separate disk whose margin 24 is fastened by adhesive tov the adjacent marginal surface of the depressed portion 19 of the main member of the cap. vWith t-he unit of Figure 1 attached to the central portion 19 by means of the staples 17 Athe tab 15 will be firmly held between the'cap/member and the disk 5 so as to be held in folded operative position and normallyiconcealed from View. An important feature of this form of t-he invent-ion is that the cap member, including the portion 19 through which the staples 17 are extended and in engagement with which the ends of the staples are clinched, is formed of a relatively thin tender grade of pasteboard which 'will readily tear, the strength of the cap member being such as to permit the cap member to be readily torn loose from the staples 17 without effecting removal of the unit, embodying 'disks 5 and 6, from the bottle mouth. W'hen the cap member is detached from'this unit in this manner the tab 15 will be exposed and accessible as illustrated in Figure 11whereupon the stopper unit may be readily pulled or removed from the mout-h of the bottle. From the above description it is apparent that this form of the invention will provide a sanitary bottle clo.- sure in which the protective cap may be detached'when no longer required, such asat a time after the bottled milk has been delivered to the consumer.

The form of the invention shown in Figures 12 to 14 is provided to accomplishthe same purpose as that above described in connect-ion with the form of the invention shown in Figures 9 to 11 inclusive. In this form of lthe invention shown in Figures/'12 to 14 inclusive, the cap member has a flat top wall 25, and a depending marginal ange 26 adapted to 'fit around the external bead of the bottle mouth. In this way the marginal and centraly portions 20 and 21 are provided which are in the same horizontal plane, and the depressed central portion 23 of the lower disk 6 lies in the same horizontalplane as the j lower edge of the rim or flange 26, whereby a plurality of the closures may be supe-rimposed in non-nest-ing relation within the feed magazine of a bottle capping machine. However, in the present or last modification of the invent-ion, a. separate disk is provided whose marginal portion 26 is secured by adhesve to the underside of the marginal portion of the cap member proper, and whose central portion is depressed as at 27 the .stopper unit being 'secured to the depressed portion 27 by means of the staples 17.y In this instance, the disk member having the depressed portion 27 is formed of relatively tender thin pasteboard through which the staples 17 will readily tear when the cap member is pulled upwardly, without effec-ting removal of the stopper element or unit from the bottle mouth. Thus, the same detachment of the cap member from the stopper unit is had as described ab tion wit-h the form of the invention shown in Figures 9 to 11 inclusive, whereby the tab 15 is exposed for effective subsequent removal of the stopper unit from the bottle mouth. In order to effectively prevent crushing of the depressed portion 27, the space between the bottom wall ot the latter and the central portion 21 of the cap member proper is preferablywfilled by means of a suitable spacer means which mayconsist of one or more disks 28 `of the required thick@ vness and a lower ring member 29, between this spacer means and the bottom wall of the portion 27, within which sufficient clearance is provided for the upper clinched ends of the sta-ples 17. It will of course be appreciated that the stopper unit is disposed concentrically of and within the rim or marginal flange of the cap member in each 'of t-he forms of the invention shown respectively `in Figures 9 to 411 inclusive and 12 to 14 inclusive. Further, in both instances, the tab 15 is irmlyheld between the depressed portion 19 or 27 of the cap and the adjacent free portion 12 of the upper disk 5. 7

e in connec-M,

The closure shown 'in Figures 15, 16L and l 17 is the same as that illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive except that the lower disk 6 the free insertion of a conventional drinking straw 31 the ethrough, whereby the straw maybe inserted the closure is `applied to the mouth of the latter for facilitating drinking of the contents Aof the b'ottle. Obviously, lwardly upon the tab 15, the free portion 13 upon pulling upl in the milk bottle 32 while f ofthe sheet member 7j' andthe free portion 12 of the upper disk 5 will be flexed upwardly away from the adjacent portion of the lower disk 6 so as to-expose the opening 30 whereby the straw 31 may be inserted therethrough in'to'the bottle 32, thus enabling drinking of the contents of the bottle while excluding the entrance of dirt and the like into the latter. The construction shown in'Figures 18 to 20 inclusive is the same as that of Figures 15 to 17 inclusive except thatfthefree portion 12 of the upper disk is provided with a central notch 33 substantially conforming in size and sha to that of the shaft and normally `having the, latter folded into the same so that its upper surface will lie flush with the upper surface of the upper disk 5. This represents a compact form of closure in which the tab is normally protected against accidental engagement or damage, and by making the notch 33 of slightly greater depth than the length of the tab 15, as shown in v Figure 18, the end of the tab may be readily engaged 'for lifting the same out of the notch whereby it may be` subsequently grasped for pulling the tab so as to Hex-the free port-ions 12 and' 13' upwardly and also remove the cloiiire from the mouth of the bottle if desu' l v v s As the objects and manner of use of the several forms ofthe invention have been e-xplained as the description progressed, it is believed that the manner of use and advantages v of the invention will be readilyunderstood and appreciated by thoseskilled in the art,

g without further detailed comment thereon.

Minor changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the in- -posedabove the upper disk and associated with said ,free portion of the upper disk-to' vention as claimed. y

-What I claim as new is y 1. A milk bottle closure including upper and lower disks -securely fastened together` and adapted to lit within the mouth of the milk bottle, the upper disk being entirely free of connection with the lower disk at one side to define a free portion of said upper disk which is iexible upwardly away from lsaid lower disk, an extracting tab attached to the closure and formed of a piece of -material separate from the disks, said tab being discause upward flexing thereof when the tab is pulled to remove the closure from the .bottle mouth, and a cap member attachedat its cen` tral portion tothe central portion of the upsame from the upper and adapted to it within the mouth of the e milk bottle, the upper disk being entirely free of connection with the v,lower disk at one side to define a free portion of said upper disk which vis flexibleupwardly away from said lower disk, an extracting tab attached to the closure and formed of a piece of material separate from the disks, said tab being disposed above the upper disk andJ associated with said free portion of the upper disks to cause-upward flexing thereof when the tab is pulled to remove the closure from the bottle mouth,`and a cap member attached at its central portion to the central portion of the upper disk and having a depending rim adapted to lit around the mouth of the milk bottle, said capmember being formed of sufficiently tender material as to permit tearing o f the same from the upperdisk to expose the tab and without removing the disks from the bottle mouth, the connection of the disks and cap member being effected by means of staples clinched therethrdugh.

3. A milk bottle closure including upperl and 'lower disks securel fastened together and adapted to fit within the mouth ofthef vmilk bottle, the upper disk being entirely free of connection withI the lower disk'at one side to define a free portion of said upper disk wh1ch is flexible upwardly away from said lower disk, an extracting tab attached to the closure and formed of a piece of material separate from the disks, said tab being disposed above the upper disk and associated with said free portion of the upper disk to cause upward iiexing thereof when ythe tab is pulled to remove theclosure from thebottle mouth, a cap member attached at'its central portion to the central portion of the upper disk and having^adepending riin adapted to lit around themouth of the milk bottle, said der material as to permit tearing of the same from/the upper dlsk to expose the tab and without removing the disks from the bottle mouth, the disks being arranged concentrically of and within the rim of said vcap member, said cap member having a top wall'with marginalY and central portlons inthe same horizontal plane, and the lower disk having a depending centra-l portion substantially flush with the lower edge of said rim of theA cap member, whereby a plurality of the vlolo- -sures may be' superlmposed'in non-nesting relation.

4. A milk bottle closure including upper and lower disks securely fastened together and adapted to fit within the mouth of the milk bottle, '.t-he`upper disk bein free of connection with the lower (isk at one entirely I cap member being formed of suiiiciently tenside to define a free portion of .said upper disk which is iexible upwardly away from said lower disk, an extracting tab att-ached to the closure and formed of a piece of ma-I terial separate from the disks, said tab being disposed above 'the upper disk and assoeiated with said free portionof the upper disk to cause upward flexing thereof ,when the tab is pulled toremove the closure from 5 the bottle mouth, a cap member attached' at its central port-ion to the central portion of the upper disk and having a depending rim adapted to lit around the mouth of the milk bottle, said cap member being formed of suf- 10 lieiently tender materia-l as to permit tearing of the same from the upper disk to eX- pose the tab and without removing the disks from the bottle mouth, the disks being arranged concentrically of and within the rim of said cap member, said cap member having a top wall with marginal and central portions in the same horizontal plane, and the lower disk having a dependin central portion substantially Hush with t e lower edge of. said rim of the cap member, whereby a Aplurality of the closures may be superimposed in non-nesting relation, said cap mem- Jo nnnr einen. 

